bargain basement

pattern by bonnie hunter, fabric selection and construction by me!  have never seen this pattern made by anyone else on the net, but it drew me in, partly because of the name...who doesn't love a bargain!  many years ago in quincy, massachusetts, was a delightful shopping place called the bargain center...and it was chock full of bargains galore. my mother got my baby sister's entire layette there and it was always the first stop for back to school.   then there was filene's bargain basement, also a haven for the thrifty....prices there got marked down every 7 days and every item had a tag showing the date of the last markdown and the ever-decreasing price.  those were the days...both places now just memories.  as for THIS bargain, finally got to dive into my plaid stash and am really happy with the outcome.  the use of very lights and mediums give it a lighter look than bonnie's in her book, but it sure does brighten up a room.

this project was on my summer wish list and it now gets crossed off--and it isn't even officially summer yet!  the next 2 projects (in addition to more potholders) are the orange mod seen earlier this week and finish the amish style ocean waves flimsy.  or, maybe i'll tackle some little quilts from jo morton's club?  oh, and finish the rambling rose wallhanging too....the list keeps going, and going, going, and going.... ***  recently discovered the old viking's inability to zig-zag and am pondering how to proceed with this nearly 40-year-old machine.  aside from that function, works like new but do require the zig-zag and its partner, the buttonholer, from time to time.  parts are scarce and funds to repair even more so.  will do some research and maybe find the solution.  hopefully a fix can be found, keeping her from a new life as a boat anchor....

whoooo's birthday is today?

that would be brother #1....one of the smartest, funniest, sensitive, talented and occasionally rigid and annoying people about whom i care very deeply....we were built-in childhood playmates. like most of us, he's made some whopper mistakes in his life and also suffered terribly at times, but through it all we've kept him close and made sure he knows he's loved beyond words no matter what--that's our definition of family.  he's been there for me during some of my own incredible boo-boos and for that i'm always thankful.  wishing him a fantastic day, birthday or not.

this and that

how wonderful it is to have no sewing that HAS to be done and to just be able to pick up whatever feel like sewing....first up was these potholders....

my shoebox full of selvedges was overflowing so naturally potholders came to mind....will make great little gifties at some point....and then i spied this that has been waiting so long for some attention....

just one more block, but it whetted my mojo to make lots more.....

leaving me with these tiny waste triangles for some future fun..... today, though, it's finish the 'bargain basement' flimsy first and there is that vacuuming too.  quilting continues on the rambling rose project....plus have a stack of books waiting....and for those of you who enjoy the British mystery series "Vera," would like to recommend "Shetland" based on books by the same author.   The series has that same sort of eerie marsh atmosphere found in the "Vera" episodes and excellent quality mystery stories as well...now off to fire up the old viking!

in the hoop

a few years ago lucky enough to win a layer cake of sandy gervais' "rambling rose" fabrics. made up this little wallhanging with some of that and it is now in the hoop and should be finished by week's end.  goodbye another UFO!  i love the delicate colors in this fabric line....

this was the doll quilt i sent along to mary ellen in lori aka humble quilts' annual swap.  it was well received, which is always nice.  with a significant repro stash, it's easy to find ideas for small projects like this...

and a couple of more shots of the ocean venue visited recently....

the beach really is quite narrow and long and the one "in your face" view is the infamous bay bridge.  there are plenty of shady places to sit and grill and just chill out though....and today i do mean chill....it's only 48 degrees here now.  another lovely monday and a whole week ahead.   later on will pick up the senior center's quilt of valor and bring that home to finish the quilting.  other than a few household things, plenty of sewing time available....keep calm and quilt on!

offered......

this is a quilt top given to me by a friend who was collecting items for a church yard sale back in the early 1980s.  it is a TOP ONLY, hand pieced, broken dishes pattern.  a prominent new england quilt historian inquired about purchasing this back then, but had visions of repairing and completing it myself.  fast forward 30 years and i realize that will probably never happen. the colors are like new as it has never been laundered.  i have a ballpark idea of its value, but willing to consider any reasonable offer.  some repairs are needed, primarily seams.  an entire row was removed by me and separated into blocks for any fixes to maintain the integrity of the original and would be included of course.   it was made by a massachusetts lady who attended the episcopal church in brockton, massachusetts; no other information is known by me.  please e-mail if require further information, close-up photos, etc. 

ho-hum day...

well at the moment, anyway....weather is still cloudy and cool, no big plans for the weekend aside from household stuff.  i have gotten the "bargain basement" ready for borders, though, and here it is...

next comes a narrow cheddar border and then a pieced triangle border of red and neutrals...this would be ideal for somebody's log cabin, eh bonnie?   ***  a few years ago, my sister--the soon-to-be college grad--gifted me a roll of 90" wide batting that is still supplying me with batts big and small.  i estimate there are still 4-5 large quilt batts on that roll plus the ones already basted and waiting for quilting.  hoping that this summer will be able to finish up enough UFO flimsies to use up the roll...once the hot weather arrives, will be easy to crank up the A/C and sew, sew, sew!

something new

since recently busted a fair amount of yardage, pulled out this pattern and started sewing up something colorful for my door.  the blue narrow piece is from the "row by row" fabric collection and with the little boats was just perfect.  first i auditioned yellow for the letters, but they didn't stand out enough so orange did the trick.  the boats are a batik and my lobster print was perfect for the background.  the vertical design of the center square makes it look a bit wonky, so the jury is still out but i love the colors....anyway, it's a work in progress

normally red/white/blue is my go-to combo for summer, but i've a couple of things planned for those colors and thought the warm tones would evoke summer better....got more of my solid bow ties done and have another wallhanging UFO half quilted, so stash busting continues here during this short spell of rainy weather.   also putting together my "bargain basement" from bonnie hunter's book "scraps and shirttails", a pattern i've not seen widely used.  she used a lot of dark plaids in hers whereas i've chosen a greater amount of lighter plaids--anxious to get the top finished and have a good look.   ***  been in kind of a blue funk past week or so for a lot of reasons, but ventured out to guild last night and it helped chase away the poor me syndrome.  the budget--or lack thereof--is a huge wearing concern with few options for solving.  but since i'm blessed in many ways, not the least of which is sewing materials, hope to keep mind occupied and gray matter humming....

recent finishes...

2017 means i've been quilting now for 38 years and it appears have finally learned how to make log cabins....not without my trusty cheat sheet tho...here's a photo of the scrappy flimsy recently donated to disaster relief to finish and get outta my UFO pile...

the blocks finished at 7.5" and made hardly a dent in my strip tote--guess i'll have to make a couple more.   streak of lightning is one of my fave settings, that and courthouse steps.

and another UFO that got finished and donated is the westering women sew-along.  both of these busted 7.25 yards.  two other items--lap robe and doll quilt swap--busted another 3.5 yards, so definitely on the downward slope

these 2 photos were taken with my phone, so colors and lighting not optimal but you get the idea.  *** another summer day has dawned and the laundry pile awaits....

the un-swap day

new header photo of the blooming roses in the front yard here....the yellow ones are starting to bloom as well....summer is here even though it's going to be a coolish week, like high 60s every day....enjoying the sun and breezes before rain comes for the rest of the week....

missed today's quilt meeting and also the mug rug swap....here's mine that i made....so summery i think....will put aside for another use i guess....

and here's a photo of the milky way masquerade all done....busted 7 yards on this twin size quilt...the colors really zing....batiks, you know...

still here....

but without photos today I'm afraid....not that I haven't been busy....milky way is almost done, finished up the scrappy log cabin flimsy and that has been donated, 2 lap robes done and ready to go, plus finished DD's top....will post photos when able....summer has arrived in Maryland so the a/c is on and my beach pass is at the ready--a great time to quilt!